Deemed Univs Can Now Admit Students As Per New Rule: AICTE

No-maths rule only after a few years

Deemed Univs Can Now Admit Students As Per New Rule: AICTE

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:19.03.2021 

Engineering admissions counselling based on physics, chemistry and maths marks will continue for a couple of years more, said All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) chairman Anil D Sahasrabudhe on Thursday.

In its approval process handbook for 2021-22, AICTE has made maths and physics at Class XII-level optional to join engineering and technology courses. Students who have studied any three subjects of 14, including physics, maths, chemistry, computer science, electronics, information technology, biology, informatics practices, biotechnology, technical vocational subject, agriculture, engineering graphics, business studies and entrepreneurship are eligible to study engineering courses under the new criteria.

The move has kicked up a huge row across the country as educational institutions feared that it may further weaken the quality of engineering graduates.

“The move aims to provide a window of opportunity to students who have not taken physics, chemistry, maths in Class XI and XII. They will do it during the first year of engineering courses. There are four maths papers, two physics and one chemistry paper in engineering curriculum,” the AICTE chief said, while addressing delegates at the national conference, on ‘Approval process handbook 2021-22 for resetting technical education and implementing National Education Policy 2020’, in Chennai.

He further clarified that entrance exams such as JEE will continue to have maths, physics, chemistry for a few more years. “Some autonomous institutions including deemed universities and private universities may admit students based on the new eligibility criteria and conduct bridge courses for them,” he said.

Calling the move a “futuristic step” and the “beginning of transformation”, Sahasrabudhe said: “When the new education policy is rolled out in the next few years, there will be no distinction like arts and science streams in higher secondary.”

The AICTE boss said that under the new 5 + 3 + 3+ 4 system, the last four years will not be based on streamwise at all. “Students will be allowed to take any combination of arts, commerce and science. Students at the age of 14 are too young to make a decision on what they need to do.”

Explaining the changes to APH 2021-22, he said the caveat of 50% admissions last year to start new courses has been introduced following judgments of the Kerala high court and the Supreme Court.

Citing the Covid-19 pandemic and financial crunch faced by private educational institutions, H Chaturvedi, alternate president of the Education Promotion Society of India, sought a financial package from the Centre similar to the one announced by the US government for institutions of higher education.

G V Selvam, vice-president of Vellore Institute of Technology, said there was a shortage of 33 lakh teachers in higher education in the country and urged the AICTE to focus on producing quality teachers.

The All India Council for Technical Education sparked a huge row after it made Class XIIlevel maths and physics optional for students wishing to take up engineering & technical courses